Mercedes-AMG - creating magnificent flying machines

Back in 1967, two friends set up a workshop to develop racing engines. Fifty years later the AMG badge is still gracing some of the most elegant, high performance cars on the road. To mark the anniversary Mercedes-AMG took 50 of them to Silverstone. This is what happened.

When Mercedes decided to celebrate 50 years of their sporty AMG line, they opted to send 50 of their finest cars to Silverstone and, with amazing courage – or foolhardiness, allow a similar number of journalists to drive them.

Among the beasts on offer were special one-off editions, limited editions, heritage models and cars sporting thunderous horsepower and even bigger soundtracks.

They all had one thing in common – they went remarkably fast. The only question was where to start?

Mercedes AMG GT R

Well at the top, why not? In the Mercedes-AMG GT R – not the GT, the GT S or even the GT C, but the big one.

“It’s not the most expensive,” said David, my Mercedes-Benz driver, who would bravely sit in the passenger seat as I took this car screaming and spitting around the famous 3.5-mile Northamptonshire circuit. Yes, it was the full Formula One track.

In terms of performance, this is the halo product, with a 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8 engine sporting 585hp and a yellow knob on the dashboard for variable traction – or none at all.

David demonstrated. We slid then we slithered and, finally, with it off completely, we did a 360-degree turn on the track.

The AMG GT R on the track

I would like to say I remained cool, calm and collected while this happened – but that would be a lie.

“This is the ultimate car in terms of performance,” continued David.

“It has various modes and you can take it to track days. There’s even a readout that tells you how much G-Force you’re experiencing as you go around a corner.

“Although you probably won’t have time to look at that.”

We pulled into the pits, swapped places and it was my turn. To be truthful, I don’t know what I was more in awe of, the car or the circuit and I would like to say I impressed David with my silky smooth driving and appreciation of the racing line as I powered around Silverstone.

The GT R

But I fear that was not the case. He was, however, still smiling when I drove back into the pits. “This car is very forgiving,” he commented.

Next up was the AMG GLE 63 coupe, the SUV that thinks it’s a sports car and sounds like one, too.

“Listen to that sound,” said my next co-driver, Charlotte, as we switched on the engine. It gurgled and burbled.

“My heavens,” I thought. “This would get the lieges going at my local Tesco.”

Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 Coupe

I listened carefully to Charlotte, who has been racing since she was only 14 years old and was Female International Driver of the Year in 2013.

She has been working with Mercedes-Benz for five years now, despite looking as though she should still be at school. This racing business must be a form of youth elixir.

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You would not have thought it could do the things it did – but there it was taking the same hairpins and chicanes as the GT R did previously.

“It’s amazing, isn’t it,” laughed Charlotte. “This is a huge SUV in terms of weight transfer and yet it stays still on the corners and some of them are very tight.”

AMG as a company were founded in 1967 by Hans-Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher and that gives you the AM – the G comes from Grossaspach, Aufrecht’s birthplace.

The 300 SEL 6.3 Touring Car

They began as a race engine workshop and gradually evolved into manufacturers of sports saloons and coupes.

Along the way, AMG began a collaboration with Mercedes-Benz that, today, has culminated in more than 50 vehicles sporting the AMG badge.

Among them is the SLS AMG special Black Edition from late 2013, which was a bit of a misnomer because the model I drove was white, with gullwing doors. Beautiful.

In the passenger seat this time was Benji, a man with an encyclopaedic knowledge of AMGs. As we walked along the row to my car, he told me the horsepower of every car we passed. “And this one,” he said as we arrived at it, “is a really rare piece of kit, with a naturally aspirated 6.2-litre V8 engine and 620hp.”

I sighed, and then I got in and drove it.

This car was made for driving. I took it around Silverstone, past the British Drivers’ Racing Club with all its history, past the Formula One pits, around the famous bends and along the straights.